Ascendance

10

After putting Kyra in the nurse's office, we were back in the room with Amy and Grayson. Turns out they're Brendan's siblings. 

"So was there anything else in the flash drive besides the coordinates?" I ask them. "And where do they lead to?" 

"Yes, we did." She responded. "The coordinates lead to an island in between Harkers Island and Cape Lookout. Seems like they've been using that as a base." 

"Are they all there?" I ask, feeling antsy. 

"As far as we know, yes." Amy sighed. "We also found some really old files suggesting that he was on the planet as early as the 1940s." 

"That's a long time." I responded, looking at the computer files.

"There's a video here too." Amy clicked on it. 

"Aren't you worried that it might have malware on it?" Brendan asked. 

"We have the best system for it. For Earth ones anyway." He shook his head. 

The video played. It was a grainy black and white film. 

"Subject 1052 is ready for testing." I could see the Leader in his regular form. He looked terrified out of his mind. He was strapped down on a table with a gag in his mouth. He was protesting, trying to get out of his binding when he started to convulse violently. 

"Hmm, go up some more." The scientist in a lab coat said. The Leader let out another cry. 

"Make it stop!" I could hear him. Tears were forming in my eyes and Brendan had stopped looking. Honestly, that explains the asshole behavior but it didn't explain what I had to do with it. Amy stopped the video. 

"What is he trying to tell us?" Amy asked, wiping her eyes from under her glasses. 

"Maybe he wants the people who did this. They've got to be older than Erika's parents at this point." Amy was placing her hand on her chin. Grayson looked at the footage. 

"They might be dead already." Grayson thought. "How old are your parents, Erika?" 

"In their fifties. They would have been kids back then." I responded. "Is there any way we can zoom in on the faces?" 

"We can but the faces are super blurry." Amy sighed. "I'll get Kylie to see if she can enhance the footage." 

"Thanks, Amy." Brendan smiled at her. 

"No problem, bro." She then clicked on other files. "They're in their language. Fun." 

"I can try to read it." Grayson stood at the giant computer screen. "This message is for the Agency and for Erika Jimenez, specifically." 

"Oh, boy." I say with dripping sarcasm. 

"For the Agency; The Founder will pay for his crimes. I haven't forgotten what he and the team of scientists at Area 51 did to me. Turn the Founder and Erika away in two days or I will start killing off Ms. Jimenez's family members one by one." 

My blood ran cold. 

"That bastard." I mutter. I can't believe I almost felt sorry for him. What did I have to do with this? 

"I guess I'm going to have to go teach him not to fuck with me or my family." I put my hands on my hips. 

"Are you sure about this, Erika?" Brendan asked, looking concerned. "There is a lot to risk here."

"He wants me, he'll get me but he won't like what he gets." I cross my arms to my chest. Amy and Karenina looked at each other. 

"If that is what you want, Erika." Karenina sighed. "Just know we're not responsible for you if you die trying to rescue them." 

"I don't care about that. I need to save my family from that mad man. Or a mad alien in this case." I sighed, thinking of my family. If I save them, we won't have to worry about this anymore. 

"As you wish, Erika." Karenina looked at Amy and Grayson. 

"Thank you for your help. We need to let Amanda know what happened so we can plan accordingly." 

Amy nodded. We headed back to Amanda's office where she was browsing through Amazon. 

"What did they tell you?" She asked, raising her brow. 

"They have Erika's parents in an underwater base off the coast of Cape Lookout." Karenina put her hands on her hips. "Also seems like the Leader was tortured or something by the Founder." 

"He was not tortured." A male voice said behind us. We all almost broke our necks, turning to face the voice. It was an older Hispanic man with his arms crossed and wearing a suit. 

"Oh, it's the Founder." Karenina looked up and down at him. 

"Yes, it is me. I didn't think Akenath would come for your family or for me." He looks at me. This is my great grandfather. "You look a lot like your mother." 

"My adoptive or...." I raise my brow.

"So I guess you're here to confirm whether or not Erika is your great granddaughter." Karenina sighed, looking away. 

"She is. That's why the Leader wants her." He looks at me. "He wants to get back at me for what happened at Roswell." 

"You were at Roswell?" I asked, feeling surprised. 

"Anyway, if you want to save your family, you should get ready with the others. We're starting this operation now." The Founder crossed his arms. 

"I'll do it." I look at him. "I'll feel a lot better if I do." 

The Founder smiled and left. What was this man hiding from us? 

"I guess you guys should go get ready." Amanda shrugged. "Good luck." 

We left the office. Now that I knew I was a Diaz, I wanted to know who the Diaz parent was. My mother or my father? The Founder seemed to know who my mother was but didn't say anything. My mother must have similar face features, after all I got it from somewhere. I wondered if my mother was still alive. I hope she is, I have a lot of questions for her. 

"You okay?" Karenina asked me, looking worried. 

"I'm fine, just thinking about things." I responded.